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Comparison of the discriminative stimulus effects of dimethyltryptamine with different classes of psychoactive compounds in rats

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Abstract

Rationale

There has been increased recreational use of dimethyltryptamine (DMT), but little is known of its discriminative stimulus effects.

Objectives

The present study assessed the similarity of the discriminative stimulus effects of DMT to other types of hallucinogens and to psychostimulants.

Methods

Rats were trained to discriminate DMT from saline. To test the similarity of DMT to known hallucinogens, the ability of (+)-lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD), (−)-2,5-dimethoxy-4-methylamphetamine (DOM), (+)-methamphetamine, or (±)3,4-methylenedioxymethyl amphetamine (MDMA) to substitute in DMT-trained rats was tested. The ability of DMT to substitute in rats trained to discriminate each of these compounds was also tested. To assess the degree of similarity in discriminative stimulus effects, each of the compounds was tested for substitution in all of the other training groups.

Results

LSD, DOM, and MDMA all fully substituted in DMT-trained rats, whereas DMT fully substituted only in DOM-trained rats. Full cross-substitution occurred between DMT and DOM, LSD and DOM, and (+)-methamphetamine and MDMA. MDMA fully substituted for (+)-methamphetamine, DOM, and DMT, but only partially for LSD. In MDMA-trained rats, LSD and (+)-methamphetamine fully substituted, whereas DMT and DOM did not fully substitute. No cross-substitution was evident between (+)-methamphetamine and DMT, LSD, or DOM.

Conclusions

DMT produces discriminative stimulus effects most similar to those of DOM, with some similarity to the discriminative stimulus effects of LSD and MDMA. Like DOM and LSD, DMT seems to produce predominately hallucinogenic-like discriminative stimulus effects and minimal psychostimulant effects, in contrast to MDMA which produced hallucinogen- and psychostimulant-like effects.

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Acknowledgments

Funding was provided by the Addiction Treatment Discovery Program of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH N01DA-2-8822). Program staff were involved in selection of compounds and test parameters. The ATDP had no further role in study design; the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; or the writing of the report. They have granted permission for the submission of this data for publication.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, University of North Texas Health Science Center, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, TX, 76107-2699, USA

    Michael B. Gatch, Margaret A. Rutledge, Theresa Carbonaro & Michael J. Forster

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  1. Michael B. Gatch
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  2. Margaret A. Rutledge
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  3. Theresa Carbonaro
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  4. Michael J. Forster
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Correspondence to Michael B. Gatch.

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Gatch, M.B., Rutledge, M.A., Carbonaro, T. et al. Comparison of the discriminative stimulus effects of dimethyltryptamine with different classes of psychoactive compounds in rats. Psychopharmacology 204, 715–724 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-009-1501-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-009-1501-z

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